Friday, October 1, 2010

I apologize that I have been missing the past few days. I have been trying catch up on custom work before I head to New York for a funeral. Sadly, my stepbrother has been battling lung cancer and lost his battle on Tuesday. My stepmother has been by his side nonstop and my heart is breaking for her. I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose your child.

It's October, which means it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I wanted to share a little story with you, as well as provide you with a printable file that you could use for any PINK charitable events you are hosting. Manuela of Passion for Baking asked me to design cupcake toppers for her to showcase with some of her gorgeous baked goods on her blog (stay tuned). I noticed Manuela's talent on Martha's Dreamers into Doers website. We instantly connected, and although her blog is in a foreign language, the pictures are worth a thousand words! Thank you, Manuela for inspiring me to create something for this important cause.

Now for a little inspirational story.....I have a reader, whom I call my "Fairy Godmother". Her name is Andrea and she has been a loyal reader and supporter since the beginning. Her company is called, The Dessert Fairy and is partly responsible for the name "Fairy Godmother".

The other reason I call her this is because she often sends me words of encouragement, like these:

"The photo she took of you on your Facebook page captures a sparkle in your eyes that mirror the beautiful things that have come your way over this past year." (about the headshot that my sweet friend, Vicki recently took)

"You're right where you belong. I wish you only good things as you deserve all life has to offer. An exciting time for you all right now and this girl is tickled "pink" for you!"

"You’ve got the world on a ‘party’ string right now and continue to sail in this amazing direction!""Let it be excitement, not nerves. Nerves will cloud your thinking but excitement will bring with it that beautiful smile. We ‘little people’ just sit by your side to encourage; you’ll “ROCK” their world just by your presence."(on being nervous about my trip to Martha's headquarters)

Andrea is always there, cheering me on and I appreciate it so much. In 2004, Andrea discovered that she had breast cancer. After extensive treatments, she has been cancer free for over six years. She recently shared with me this beautiful essay that her daughter wrote for a scholarship opportunity. I'm not sure if she won, but I sure hope so!

~ Essay written by Lisa, Andrea's daughter ~

A month after my 13th birthday, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time I thought I would lose her and my life would change forever. What I didn’t know then was that it would be a positive experience and how it would teach me the true meaning of love, respect and hope.

My mom is my world. I watched as she went through surgery, chemo, radiation and lost her hair. I remember how excited she was to finally take off her wig. I also remember when she told us that she was doing the LI-2 Day Walk alone and we thought she was crazy. What I don’t remember was her ever losing was her sense of humor or ability to make us believe. She made it so easy for all of us, did everything she used to do and never complained. I can’t fathom how hard it must have been for her and I admire her so much. For the past five years, I grew up to believe in optimism, strength and determination and that there was nothing you couldn’t do. Her diagnosis helped teach me some of life’s most valuable lessons.

There is beauty in every situation. I would like to prove that to the world by studying photography and showing my interpretation of real and true beauty. Whether I win a scholarship or not, I am the ultimate winner because I have her as my mother. She promised me many times that she would never give up and thankfully, she has kept her promise.

~ Lisa

These women are incredibly inspiring and remind us to be thankful for everyday.Thank you for sharing this and always being a source of encouragement for me.

So sorry to hear about your brother...Cancer is so real. Don't know if I told you my Mom is going through treatments for breast cancer right now. Your printables will help put the sweet in "treat"-ments. xoxo

Kim - What a beautiful design and even more beautiful (tear jerker) story that was written by your readers daughter! I'm here wiping my tears away (as you know me) and totally feel the love not only shared by the brave Mom but also learned by the daughter. Thank you for sharing your designs & the heart warming essay!

So sorry for your loss Kim...my thoughts & prayers are with you & your family...Thank you for the printable, I hope you don't mind I will use them to make a card for my mum, she is a recent BC survivor & lives too far away for me to make her a sweet treat. xoxo

Again, Kim, I am so sorry for your loss. You have been in my thoughts ever since we talked. I also wanted to add that I have also experienced Andrea's kindness first hand. I just recently received a sweet email from her cheering me on. What an amazing woman full of strength and inspiration. xoxo

Kim, we are so sorry for your loss! Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this very difficult time! This was a very special post, as it is a cause near and dear to us as well! Sweetly, Melissa and Kellie

So sorry for your loss, Kim. ...and I wanted to thank you for this touching post. We just found out that my M-I-L has breast cancer and is going to lose her entire breast. You hope it never hits close to home, but when it does, it's pretty scary not knowing what lies ahead. I'm definitely finding strength and hope in other's survivor stories.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family; I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your brother. My husband's father passed away from lung cancer, too. It just breaks your heart to see a loved one go through that. What a touching essay by your friend's daughter...truly inspirational. She wrote from her heart and with such love ~ such a beautiful gift to her mother. :) Manuela's blog is beautiful; she will definitely inspire me to try some new things in the kitchen! Thanks so much for sharing! May you and your family find comfort in one another during this difficult time.